Renowned Louisiana political consultant Roy Fletcher will lead the Manship School of Mass Communication’s first Academy of Applied Politics beginning Jan. 25 and lasting until April 4.
Fletcher, whose full-service consulting company Roy Fletcher, Inc. has worked for numerous local, state and national political candidates, will be joined each week by a different guest speaker with expertise in a particular area of political campaigning.
Emily Tiller, Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs program coordinator, said the sessions will begin with John Maginnis, publisher of LaPolitics.com and author of two Louisiana politics books, and Timmy Teepell, former chief of staff to Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Fletcher said he plans to teach students how to organize a campaign from scratch, interact with the press, mold and shape campaigns and target voters.
“When people finish this class, I hope they have a sound understanding of how campaigns are run,” Fletcher said. “And that they understand the issues they will have to confront in each campaign.”
The nine-week program will provide training for 30 participants in running political and public affairs campaigns.
“They’ll learn the intricacies of the various aspects of campaigns,” said Bob Mann, political communication professor in the Manship School’s Reilly Center.
Entry into the academy was granted through an application process, Tiller said. Five spots were reserved for Manship School students who were admitted on a scholarship, while the others were filled by non-students.
“The idea is to give you a broad overview and help you develop some skills but also help lead you into a deeper experience in one of those subject areas,” Mann said.
Tiller said the class covers the basics of campaigns such as hiring campaign personnel, polling, public speaking, handling the media and strategies to snag voters.
“They may not be able to run for office the day the class is over, but they will surely be prepared,” Tiller said.
Mann said he hopes to repeat the academy every spring.
 
____
Contact Ferris McDaniel at [email protected]